To help improve your scores, NIU offers a series of test preparation workshops that provide instruction on the skills necessary for good test performance: test-taking strategies, methods of time management, vebal skills, and math competence. Past exams and simulated materials are used to teach question types and testing techniques. The instructors are fully qualified, carefully selected, and thoroughly trained.
Note: You may obtain an application packet for an exam at TESTING SERVICES, Adams Hall, on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
GRE Information and Test Dates
The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is designed to measure certain developed verbal, quantitative, and analytical abilities important for academic achievement and to compare students with different backgrounds who are applying to graduate school. All questions are multiple choice. Verbal question types include analogies, antonyms, sentence completions and reading. Quantitative question types include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, quantitative comparisons, discrete quantitative, and data interpretation. And, to measure analytical ability, question types include analytical reasoning and logical reasoning.
The GRE General Test is required for most graduate programs with the exception of law, medical and business programs. You will receive a scaled score between 200 and 800 for each of the three measures--verbal, quantitative and analytical--along with a percentile score that ranks your performance relative to the scores of other GRE examinees. There is no passing score; programs simply establish a score required for admission. In many cases, scores are also used to determine eligibility for scholarships and other types of financial aid.
The GRE General Test is now administered exclusively as a Computer Adaptive Test. The last pencil-and-paper GRE was given in April, 1999. The GRE Subject Test, used for placement purposes by graduate schools, is still in a pencil-and-paper format.
In the Fall of 1999 the GRE introduced a Writing Assessment section. The section is optional, but may be required by the schools to which you are applying for admission. It consists of two essay tasks: one is a 45-minute Issue Task, in which you are required to articulate your opinion on the issue presented by the test, the other is a 30-minute Argument Task, in which you must critique an argument presented by the test. The Writing Assessment may be taken on computer at a GRE computer testing center on any day that center is open, or it may be taken in a pencil-and-paper format on the same days the GRE administers the GRE Subject Tests. The Writing Assessment is graded on a 0 - 6 scale.
To find out more information about the test, call (800) 967-1100. The testing schedule and registration deadlines are provided below.
Test Date Registration Deadline
The Computer Adaptive GRE is administered during the
first 18 days of every month except on Sundays. Call (800) 967-1100 for
information on how to schedule an exam. There are no registration
deadlines for the Computer Adaptive Test.
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is designed to help predict a student's potential academic performance during the first year of an MBA program. The GMAT is required by most business schools for admittance to MBA and sometimes accounting programs. The test measures verbal ability, quantitative ability and writing skills.
The GMAT may only be taken in a computer adaptive format. The test consists of two one-half hour essays, a 75 minute verbal section, and a 75 minute quantitative section.
With regard to scoring, the GMAT yields four scores: verbal, quantitative,
a total score combining
the verbal and quantitative sections, and an analytical writing score.
The verbal and quantitative
sections are scored on a 0 - 60 scale, the total score uses a 200 -
800 scale, and the writing
section is graded on a scale of 0 - 6.
Beginning in 1999, the GMAT altered the procedures for grading the Analytical
writing section. The
essays are now graded both by computers and human readers. The grading
computers are
programmed to grade the particular essay topics that appear on the
GMAT; they not only assess
grammatical structure, they also seek out key terms and ideas that
should appear in an essay on a
particular topic. A human reader also grades the essay, and if the
scores of the human reader and
the computer differ, the essay is given to another human reader.
The GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) sponsors the GMAT and ETS (Educational Testing Service) administers the test.
To find out more information about the the GMAT, call (800) 462-8669.
The testing schedule and
registration deadlines are provided below.
You can learn more about registering for the GMAT at GMAT website.
Test Date
Registration Deadline
The Computer Adaptive GMAT is administered
Monday through Saturday during the last three
full weeks of every month. Call the toll-free
number for information on how to schedule an
exam.
There are no registration deadlines for the
Computer Adaptive GMAT.
To obtain registration bulletin contact: Graduate Management Admission Council, 8300 Greensboro Drive, Suite 750, McLean, VA 22102 or call (703) 749-0169 or you may also register at the GMAC MBA Explorer website: www.gmat.org.
The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is required by most law schools. Test takers receive a single score that combines verbal, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning skills. A writing sample is also sent with your scores. The review segments include reading comprehension, logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, and writing sample. An official information and registration booklet may be obtained by calling Law School Admission Services at 215-968-1001, orvisit www.lsac.org.
To register for these courses, or to obtain more information, call 1-800-345-9472 or 815-753-0277. These courses are sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Click
here for the dates of this year's courses!
LA&S External Programming's Web Pages are maintained
by the External Programming staff.
Send comments, questions, and concerns to: Steven
A. Johnson
URL: http://www.niu.edu/ext_prog/tests.html